Angelonia plant named ‘Adeblu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Angelonia  plant named ‘Adeblu’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large violet-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Angelonia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Adeblu’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia, botanically known as Angelonia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Adeblu’.

The new Angelonia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely-flowering Angelonia cultivars.

The new Angelonia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during the summer of 2003 in Dresden, Germany of two unnamed proprietary selections of Angelonia hybrida, not patented. The new Angelonia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany during the summer of 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Angelonia by cuttings in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany since December, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Angelonia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Adeblu has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Adeblu’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Adeblu’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large violet-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Angelonia differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in flower color and plant size.

Plants of the new Angelonia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Ansky, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,155. Plants of the new Angelonia and the cultivar Ansky differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Angelonia are more compact than plants of         the cultivar Ansky.     -   2. Plants of the new Angelonia have shorter internodes than         plants of the cultivar Ansky.     -   3. Plants of the new Angelonia have larger flowers than plants         of the cultivar Ansky.     -   4. Plants of the new Angelonia and the cultivar Ansky differ         slightly in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Angelonia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Angelonia.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Adeblu’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Dresden, Germany in containers and under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures averaging 20° C., night temperatures averaging 16° C. and light levels ranging from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were pinched twice, two and five weeks after planting. Plants had been growing for about five months when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Angelonia hybrida cultivar Adeblu. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Angelonia hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Angelonia hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous perennial. Upright and compact             plant habit; broad inverted triangle. Freely branching             habit; when pinched, lateral branches form at the nodes.             Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 50 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 30 cm.             Lateral branches.—Length: About 35 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Strength: Moderately strong             to strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate; simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 4 cm to 9 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.5 cm to 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate to oblong.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             137A; venation, 137A. Developing and fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: 137B; midvein, 145C; lateral veins, close to             137B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single flowers arranged in terminal             racemes; flowers face mostly outward. Freely flowering             habit; dense inflorescences.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural lowering season.—Continuously flowering from mid-May             until frost in Central Europe. Flowers not persistent.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about 20 days on the             plant.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Globular. Color: 138A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 20 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3 cm by 3.5 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five or six in a             single whorl; petals fused at the base. Length: About 1 cm.             Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Roughly spatulate. Apex:             Rounded. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture, upper and lower             surface s: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening             and fully opened, upper surface: 87A, becoming closer to 87B             with development; lower petal with white, close to 155D,             spot towards the base. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: 87B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 139B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm to 2.5 cm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Angle: About 45° to 90° from vertical. Strength:             Moderately strong; flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             four. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to             155D. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: Brown to grey. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering. Stigma             color: Close to 155D. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color:             Close to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 177A.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:             177B.         -   Seeds.—Quantity per flower: About 30 to 50. Length: Less             than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Color: Light brown. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Angelonia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Angelonia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Angelonia have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Angelonia plant named ‘Adeblu’ as illustrated and described. 